French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejournet announced that Paris is preparing an initiative to reduce military tension on the Lebanese-Israeli border. As previously reported, the head of French diplomacy arrived in Beirut as part of a regional tour.
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In the morning, he visited the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon at Cape Ras al-Naqura and met with French peacekeepers. In the afternoon, Sejournet held talks with the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic, Nabih Berri.
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“We see our task as softening the escalation and avoiding war,” the French minister said. “Our proposals, which we are discussing with the Lebanese authorities, are aimed at this.”
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Sejournet will meet with Prime Minister Najib Mikati and acting Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, as well as Lebanese Army Commander Joseph Aoun.
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Earlier, An Nahar newspaper reported that the essence of the French initiative boils down to restoring the ceasefire on the border in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the conflict between Israel and the Shiite militia Hezbollah in 2006. At the same time, Paris insists on the implementation of all points of this document, including those relating to the creation of a demilitarized zone south of the Litani River under the control of peacekeepers.
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According to the publication, during the negotiations in Beirut, Sejourne will invite the Lebanese side to “make adjustments to its position and not link the cessation of hostilities in the south of the country with the achievement of a truce in the Gaza Strip in order to avoid a dangerous escalation.”
